(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a treadmill, and more particularly to a treadmill foldable into a chair when not in use, such that the treadmill comes with a two-in-one structure.
(b) Description of the Related Art
Some conventional treadmills are used in fitness centers, and most of them are used at home. However, the interior space of a home is very limited and it is quite difficult to have a separate fitness gym at home, so that the treadmill is usually set up in living rooms. However, the conventional treadmill 10 as shown in FIG. 1 comprises a base 11, a frame 12 and a stand 13, having a length over 100 cm and occupying a relatively large space, so that furniture such as a sofa cannot be put after the conventional treadmill 10 is installed. Therefore, some treadmills are manufactured with a downwardly foldable design or the frame 12 is manufactured with an upwardly liftable design to reduce the occupied space.
For example, a fold-out treadmill with a foldable structure is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,899,834, 6,350,218, 7,192,388 and 6,033,347 issued to Icon Health & Fitness, Inc (US); a foldable treadmill is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,855,537 issued to FF Acquisition Corp.; and other foldable treadmills are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,746,682, 6,872,169 and 7,727,122.
Although the foregoing disclosed foldable treadmills, regardless of those having a downwardly foldable stand or an upwardly liftable frame, can achieve the effect of reducing the total volume of the treadmill, yet the treadmills still occupy much space and have the difficulty to be placed in the living room. Obviously, the conventional foldable treadmills require improvements.